What causes baby cataracts?

What are the causes? Heredity is a common cause of congenital cataracts in babies. Other causes include infection, inflammation, drug reactions. When mothers come down with measels, ruebella, or other infections while they are pregnant, the child may also be born with cataracts in one or both eyes.

How do they fix cataracts in babies?

The only treatment for cataracts is surgery to remove them. If your child’s cataract is small and doesn’t affect their vision, it may not need to be removed. If it does affect their eyesight, it should be removed as soon as possible. Otherwise their vision can be affected in the long term.

What happens if you are born with cataracts?

The lens is the tissue inside your eye that helps focus the light coming into your eye. Congenital cataracts can happen in one or both eyes. If congenital cataracts aren’t treated early, they can cause vision problems or blindness.

How common are newborn cataracts?

Cataracts are rare in children. They can affect one eye (unilateral) or both eyes (bilateral). Some cataracts are small and don’t cause any trouble with vision.

What do cataracts in babies look like?

When a baby has a congenital cataract, the center (pupil) of the eye looks gray or white instead of black. The whole pupil may look like it is covered with a film, or you might just see a spot on the pupil.

Can babies with cataracts see?

A baby with a cataract can’t see well through the affected eye. This makes it hard for the brain and eyes to work together, which they must do to develop normal sight and properly control eye movements.

Is it normal for newborns eyes to be cloudy?

Normally, babies are born with a transparent lens in each eye. The lens focuses objects on the retina, and it brings objects into focus, making it possible for the eye to see, Instead of a transparent lens, some babies are born with a milky white lens, which is too cloudy to focus on objects.

At what stage should cataracts be removed?

In most cases, you need surgery when blurry vision and other symptoms of a cataract starts to interfere with daily activities like reading or driving. There is no drug or eye drop to prevent or treat cataracts. Removing them is the only treatment.

At what age do cataracts usually develop?

Most people start getting cataracts around age 40. But you probably won’t notice symptoms until after age 60. Rarely, babies are born with cataracts due to a birth defect.

When infants born with cataracts have them surgically removed what must be done next?

This usually happens soon after the diagnosis, as early as 6–8 weeks of age. During the procedure, the ophthalmologist removes the cloudy part of the lens and may put in a flexible plastic artificial lens. After the surgery, the baby usually will need to wear a contact lens or glasses to help the eye focus properly.

Can cataract affect children?

Cataracts are most common in adults. However, they can also affect babies and young kids. Because the eyes are still developing, cataract should be treated right away.

What causes cataracts in babies?

Sometimes congenital cataracts are caused by chromosomal problems such as Down syndrome. Some children develop cataracts during the first few years of life. Trauma to the eye, such as a strong blow to the eye, can sometimes lead to a cataract. Sometimes a cataract is missed during infancy and babyhood but discovered in an older child.

Why do babies get cataracts?

Sometimes congenital cataracts are caused by a chromosomal problem like Down syndrome. They might also be hereditary, meaning a baby’s mom or dad may have them. Or, they could be acquired, meaning your child developed them after birth. There are many possible causes, including:

Can you be born with cataracts?

Children can get cataracts, too. They can be born with cataracts (congenital cataracts), or develop them later on. Cataracts in children are rare, and they’re usually genetic — they run in families.  They can also happen because of serious complications during pregnancy or because of illnesses during childhood, like uveitis or tumors in the eye.

When should cataracts be removed?

When children have cataracts that cause vision problems, surgery is usually needed. To prevent permanent vision loss, it is very important to remove cataracts before the child is 3 months old.